Rollover Accidents

Rollover accidents are the deadliest risk facing SUV, minivan, and truck occupants. Every year, there are more than 280,000 rollover accidents which claim more than 10,000 lives. 35.7% of all fatal SUV crashes were the result of a rollover. SUVs are more likely to roll than other vehicles in serious accidents.

A vehicle’s possibility of rolling is directly related to its stability in turns. Stability is a function of a vehicle’s center of gravity and track width, the length of a vehicle’s axel. A low center of gravity combined with a wide track width gives the car plenty of stability. A high center of gravity with a narrow track width gives the car not much stability; the car is likely to be unstable in fast turns or sharp changes of direction.

When a vehicle is unstable, it increases the chances that it will tip over once it begins to skid sideways. This problem is most pronounced in 4-wheel-drive pickup trucks and SUVs. They have a higher center of gravity than their 2-wheel-drive counterparts due to the higher ground clearance that they need for off-road driving.

The majority of 4-wheel-drive rollovers are single-vehicle accidents. They most frequently occur on weekend nights and the vehicles are generally driven by males under the age of 25. Alcohol is frequently a factor. In 75% of fatal rollovers, the victims were ejected from the vehicle which indicates that the driver was not wearing a seatbelt.

Neither cars nor trucks are subject to federal rollover standards. There is pressure building for such a standard though. In 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) introduced a rollover rating system to predict which vehicles might have a greater likelihood of rolling.

If you have been injured in a rollover accident, contact the Rhinelander car crash lawyers of Habush, Habush, & Rottier, S.C. at 1- 800-369-5990 to discuss the specifics of your case and to schedule an initial consultation.